1 For Solomon. OGod, give the king thy judgments, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
Justin Martyr · AD 165 Further, to persuade you that you have not understood anything of the Scriptures, I will remind you of another psalm, dictated to David by the Holy Spirit, which you say refers to Solomon, who was also your king. But it refers also to our Christ. But you deceive yourselves by the ambiguous forms of speech.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 As this psalm is addressed to Solomon, the first verse of the psalm must be referred to him, and all the rest to the son of Solomon, not Rehoboam, who was king of Israel after him, but him that was of his seed according to the flesh, the Christ of God; for all who are acquainted with the holy Scriptures will agree that it is impossible to connect what is said in this psalm with…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, Your judgment to the King give Thou, and Your justice to the King's Son" [Psalm 72:1]. The Lord Himself in the Gospel says, "The Father judges not any one, but all judgment He has given to the Son:" [John 5:22] this is then, "O God, Your judgment to the King give Thou." He that is King is also the Son of the King: because God the Father also is certainly King.
2 He will judge thy people with righteousness, and thine afflicted with judgment.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Next there followeth, "To judge Thy people in justice, and Thy poor in judgment" [Psalm 72:2]. For what purpose the royal Father gave to the royal Son His judgment and His justice is sufficiently shown when he saith, "To judge Thy people in justice;" that is, for the purpose of judging Thy people.
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills, by righteousness.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let the mountains bear peace to the people, and the hills justice" [Psalm 72:3]. The mountains are the greater, the hills the less.
4 He will do justice to the afflicted of the people; he will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "He shall judge the poor of the people, and shall save the sons of the poor" [Psalm 72:4]. The poor and the sons of the poor seem to me to be the very same, as the same city is Sion and the daughter of Sion.
5 They shall fear thee as long as sun and moon endure, from generation to generation.
Jerome · AD 420 [Daniel 11:24] "And there shall stand up in his place one despised, and the kingly honor shall not be given him; and he shall come privately and shall obtain the kingdom by fraud. And the arms of the fighter shall be overcome before his face and shall be broken, and the prince of the covenant as well.
Theodore of Mopsuestia · AD 428 So that now, concerning the things to be promised to the people through the kingdom of Zerubbabel, who was assigned for this through the divine judgment, it was not at all inappropriate for the prophet, speaking, to say, "he comes righteous and saving," so that he might show that he is present with them and that he has been chosen by God for the kingship in order to do these th…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And He shall endure to the sun," or, "shall endure with the sun" (ver. 5). For thus some of our writers have thought would be more exactly translated that which in the Greek is συμπαραμενεῖ.
6 He shall come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Nor is it strange that they should suffer the drought of unbelief, whom the Lord deprived of the fertilizing shower of prophecy, saying, "I will command my clouds that they rain not on that vineyard." For there is a health-giving shower of salutary grace, as David also said: "He came down like rain on a fleece and like drops that fall on the earth." The divine Scriptures promis…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And He shall come down like rain into a fleece, and like drops distilling upon the earth" [Psalm 72:6]. He has called to our minds and admonished us, that what was done by Gedeon the Judge, in Christ has its end.
Maximus of Turin · AD 465 Therefore, today the Lord was born according to the flesh in such secret silence that his generation was thoroughly ignorant of his birth. For the world did not know that he was born outside the knowledge of his father and that he was conceived outside the order of nature.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon be no more.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 And the oracle in the Psalms, which says about Christ, "There shall rise in his days justice and peace," is in agreement with this. And I think that is why he is called "Prince of Peace" in the prophecy that I quoted before this.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "There shall arise in His days justice and abundance of peace, until the moon be taken away" (ver. 7). The expression tollatur some have interpreted by "be taken away," but others by "be exalted," translating one Greek word, which is there used, ἀνταναιρεθῇ, just as each of them thought good.
8 And he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
Theodore of Mopsuestia · AD 428 So that now, concerning the things to be promised to the people through the kingdom of Zerubbabel, who was assigned for this through the divine judgment, it was not at all inappropriate for the prophet, speaking, to say, "he comes righteous and saving," so that he might show that he is present with them and that he has been chosen by God for the kingship in order to do these th…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But the testimonies of the entire Scripture proclaim with one voice that the church, with which the sect of Donatus is not in communion, is indeed spread throughout the entire world. "In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed," the law of God said.
9 The dwellers in the desert shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "In His presence shall fall down the Ethiopians, and His enemies shall lick the earth" [Psalm 72:9]. By the Ethiopians, as by a part the whole, He has signified all nations, selecting that nation to mention especially by name, which is at the ends of the earth. By "in His presence shall fall down" has been signified, shall adore Him.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer tribute:
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "The kings of Tharsis and the isles shall offer gifts, the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall lead presents" [Psalm 72:10].
11 Yea, all kings shall bow down before him; all nations shall serve him.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But we on our side do not rely on any human power, although, no doubt, it would be much more honorable to rely on the emperors than to rely on Circumcellions and to rely on laws than to rely on rioting, but we recall what is written: "Cursed be everyone who puts his hope in man." So, then, if you want to know on whom we rely, think of him whom the prophet foretold, saying, "All…
Fulgentius of Ruspe · AD 533 Therefore, let them [Arians] say that the Father and the Son are not two lord gods but their one Lord God, if they wish to hold to the truth of the faith and are unwilling to be found in rebellion against the commandments of the law and the gospel.
12 For he will deliver the needy who crieth, and the afflicted, who hath no helper;
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 We are taught, therefore, to be of good cheer when we are afflicted in the world. We learn that the reason for being of good cheer is this: the world has been conquered and, of course, subjected to him who conquered it.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But while he is explaining the reasons why so great honour is paid Him by kings, and He is served of all nations: "because He has delivered," he says, "the needy man from the mighty, and the poor man, to whom was no helper" [Psalm 72:12]. This needy and poor man is the people of men believing in Him. In this people are also kings adoring Him.
13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy:
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But it might occur to one; if because of sins man was held by the devil, have sins pleased Christ, who saved the needy man from the mighty? Far be it.
14 He will redeem their souls from oppression and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "From usuries and iniquity He shall redeem the souls of them" [Psalm 72:14]. What are these usuries but sins, which are also called debts? [Matthew 6:12] But I think they have been called usuries, because more of ill is found in the punishments than has been committed in the sins.
15 And he shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba; and prayer shall be made for him continually: all the day shall he be blessed.
Tertullian · AD 220 Besides the generally known fact that the riches of the East, that is to say, its strength and resources, usually consist of gold and spices, it is certainly true of the Creator that he makes gold the riches of the other nations also.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And He shall live, and there shall be given to Him of the gold of Arabia" [Psalm 72:15]. There would not have been said, "and He shall live" (for of whom could not this be said, though living for ever so brief a space of time on this earth?) unless that life were being recommended to our notice, wherein He "dies no more, and death over Him shall have no more dominion." [Romans…
16 There shall be abundance of corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon; and they of the city shall bloom like the herb of the earth.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And there shall be a firmament on the earth, on the tops of the mountains" [Psalm 72:16]. For, "all the promises of God in Him are Yea," [2 Corinthians 1:20] that is, in Him are confirmed: because in Him has been fulfilled whatever has been prophesied for our salvation.
17 His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and [men] shall bless themselves in him; all nations shall call him blessed.
Justin Martyr · AD 165 And as they kept silence, I went on: "[The Scripture], speaking by David about this Christ, my friends, said no longer that `in His seed' the nations should be blessed, but `in Him.' So it is here: `His name shall rise up for ever above the sun; and in Him shall all nations be blessed.' But if all nations are blessed in Christ, and we of all nations believe in Him, then He is i…
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 And if, as David says in the seventy-first [LXX] psalm, "His name remains before the sun and before the moon, from one generation to another," how did he receive what he always had, even before he now received it? Or how is he exalted, being before his exaltation the Most High?
Bonaventure · AD 1257 To Him are referred all the eloquent sayings of Scriptural wisdom, as for instance those of Solomon and others. And yet the Jews understand as applying to Solomon what is said of Christ in the Psalm: "Fairer in beauty are you than the sons of men; grace is poured out upon your lips." Solomon was not like that. And again, "May his name be blessed forever."
18 Blessed be Jehovah Elohim, theGod of Israel, who alone doeth wondrous things!
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Let us say again: "Blessed be God, who alone does wonderful things," who does all things and transforms them. Before yesterday you were captives, but now you are free and citizens of the church; lately you lived in the shame of your sins, but now you live in freedom and justice.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But whoever would be disposed to look for something more profound in the words of Christ, "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did" (for although such were done by the Father, or the Holy Spirit, yet no one else did them, for the whole Trinity is one and the same in substance), he will find that it was He who did it even when some man of God did somethin…
Braulio of Zaragoza · AD 651 The marvelous deeds and miracles performed almost in our own day by the apostolic and most upright man, Emilian the priest, are so new that they urge us to relate them; yet, at the same time, so vast in scope that to recount them is frightening.
19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever! and let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen, and Amen.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And blessed be the name of His glory for everlasting, and for age of age" [Psalm 72:19]. For what else should the Latin interpreters have said, who could not have said for everlasting, and for everlasting of everlasting?
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.